Your circadian rhythm is regulated by light

Light early in the day affects the production of melatonin in your body, making you feel sleepy in the evening. Melatonin is the hormone that induces sleep in humans, and when its levels drop, we wake up. Getting light exposure early in the day is therefore important to initiate production for the following night.

Exposure to daylight in the morning makes you sleepy in the evening, and since melatonin levels decrease during the night, you will wake up in the morning. The best thing you can do to adjust your sleep schedule is to wake up earlier, even if you have only slept a few hours, feel extremely tired, and have the urge to sleep longer.

Sleep need must be built up

The number of hours from when you wake up to when you go to bed affects the depth of your sleep. For this reason, it is unfavorable to nap during the day/afternoon as it disrupts the build-up of sleep need. Waking up and going to bed at the same time makes it easier to establish a sleep routine that fulfills your sleep needs and allows you to build up the need for the next night. If you have reversed your sleep schedule, it is crucial to stay awake during the day. Take a shower, keep yourself active even if it's tempting to take a nap on the couch.

Habits and behaviors that affect sleep

Exercise creates a need for recovery and rest, which is beneficial for your sleep schedule as long as you don't exercise too close to bedtime, as it activates the body and makes it difficult to relax.

It is not recommended to have a TV, computer, or phone in bed if you struggle to fall asleep. The light from the screen affects sleep hormones and increases alertness. Additionally, what you watch can engage you, influence emotions and thoughts that counteract tranquility. Students participating in sleep courses at SiO mention this as one of the major challenges to achieving good sleep.

Substance use

Alcohol and nicotine disrupt sleep because they cause an increase in blood pressure upon consumption. Alcohol also results in poorer sleep quality as you do not experience the deepest sleep stages when alcohol is present in the body.